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A frustrated Hammels brings up the issue of the Blue Jays stealing signs at home, not the normal way, but by someone stationed out in centerfield, or perhaps the hotel. It's been brought up before by others.

I have no idea about sign stealing but something seemed wrong about last night's homeruns. The Jays players just looked way too comfortable. But if you've ever been "in the zone" sometimes it just works out that way.

Okay I'm going to buy into this theory they were stealing signs because the Red Sox and Yankees have suggested this in the past. With that thought, why weren't we mixing signs up as if a runner was on second????? I put this solely on Buck and to some degree Wieters.

birdwatcher55 wrote:Okay I'm going to buy into this theory they were stealing signs because the Red Sox and Yankees have suggested this in the past. With that thought, why weren't we mixing signs up as if a runner was on second????? I put this solely on Buck and to some degree Wieters.

He was saying that we saying do it AS IF there was someone on second even with no one on. I don't put this solely on Buck and Wieters at all. This falls on MLB if they are letting the Blue Jays get away with this. It is unacceptable for this to happen, if it is in fact happening.

A_K wrote:Hammel suggested guys were stealing signs to know when he was throwing a breaking ball, based on the types of swings they were taking on those pitches.

All four home runs he gave up came off of fastballs.

From the article at the link, there was a guy out in the stands with his arms over his head when a breaking pitch was coming. When a fastball was coming, he didn't move his arms. Therefore, if true, they would also know when a fastball was coming.

I think his point about the breaking balls were that the batters were much more comfortable swinging away than they otherwise would be.